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[omegaman2]

how do you wipe the hard drive on xp (to much junk / running slow)

[JamesV6CDX]

going to repartition and format / reinstall ours later.

And this time around, Maria and co are going to have normal user accounts - with admin rights only for me!

Fed up of them installing spyware / toolbars and all the animated crap...!

[omegaman2]

whats the proceedure

[Danny]

might do the same i think

[omegaman2]

aye but how?

[albitz]

chuck it down the stairs and claim from house insurance

[Bandit127]

Put your windows CD in. It will autoload and start asking questions - these are quite self explanatory. Follow the ones to start from scratch, making a new partition. Or Google "re-load XP".

Beware - this will wipe everything from your hard disk. Including all your own files, installed programmes, settings and drivers.

If you need a driver (e.g. for USB modem) to get to the internet then make sure you have it to hand first.

Then be prepared for hours of Windows updates.

The other way is to have a good spring clean. Delete all unwanted data and uninstall all unwanted programmes. Let XP do a disc cleanup. Then purchase a registry healing programme which will clear out your registry. (Registry Mechanic for example) This method will keep your data, settings and drivers. This is my preferred way - reinstalling is a big job. If you are like me you will find out too late that you didn't actually back up some data and it's gone forever.

Like 3 years worth of photos...

Regards, Jim

[tunnie]

Put your windows CD in. It will autoload and start asking questions - these are quite self explanatory. Follow the ones to start from scratch, making a new partition. Or Google "re-load XP".

Beware - this will wipe everything [/u]from your hard disk. Including all your own files, installed programmes, settings and drivers.

If you need a driver (e.g. for USB modem) to get to the internet then make sure you have it to hand first.

Then be prepared for hours of Windows updates.

The other way is to have a good spring clean. Delete all unwanted data and uninstall all unwanted programmes. Let XP do a disc cleanup. Then purchase a registry healing programme which will clear out your registry. (Registry Mechanic for example) This method will keep your data, settings and drivers. This is my preferred way - reinstalling is a big job. If you are like me you will find out too late that you didn't actually back up some data and it's gone forever.

Like 3 years worth of photos...

Regards, Jim

  - Nope!

Yes its easy, just pop in the XP CD, and turn on the PC, sometimes you might need to hit 'any' key to get it boot off the CD.

When you re-install windows or "format" any hard drive, all it does it tell the sections on the disk you are now "free".

Its not actually deleted until its writted over, so if you got a 100gb disk full of photos, reformatt with windows and 95gb is free.

Chances are 95% of your photos are still there, some simple restore software will get it back  

[JamesV6CDX]

That why I like the low level format

Tonight, backed up the important files, and completely wiped the HDD. Reinstalled the OS, and all the hours of updates, etc. It's now MUCH quicker

Maria/Hannah are now users, so they can't install the rubbish that caused it to die in the first place

[hotel21]

what would you list as 'essential files' to save elsewhere?

[Debs.]

what would you list as 'essential files' to save elsewhere?

Documents
Pictures
Video
Browser Bookmarks (Favourites)
Email contact list/address-book
Login/Passwords for forums/shopping/banking etc.
Settings (POP login/passwords) for email/internet accesss
Software you have bought and paid-for as a download (i.e Not on CD)

It is also possible to save all previous e.mail messages and reload them to your email client (later) after doing a clean install.

 *Some brands of PC`s aren`t supplied with a Windows O/S disc; they have a restore/repair utilty disc supplied by the manufacturer, which access` a copy of Windows Operating System stored on a small discrete partition on the HDD.
Because of this, you must be careful not to alter or remove any partition on your HDD without checking -first if it is required by the computer to complete a 'clean install'....Computer manual would have all the 'Gen' on the above.  

[brett1408]

i use webroot window washer, recomended by a mate its great, frees up so much space and its secure, over-writes everything to and beyond us department of defence standards, so i feel a bit safer everytime i use my credit card online ! the free space washing part of it always helps the computer run better, free to download in the right places  , piece of mind, definately worth a go !

[omegaman2]

wiped the hard drive  working better now all the rubbish is gone

[TheBoy]

That why I like the low level format

Tonight, backed up the important files, and completely wiped the HDD. Reinstalled the OS, and all the hours of updates, etc. It's now MUCH quicker

Maria/Hannah are now users, so they can't install the rubbish that caused it to die in the first place

You'll find it pretty impossible to do a true low level format on a current HDD, unless you happen to have one of those £200k fancy gadgets (in which case can I borrow it)

[ians]

That why I like the low level format

Tonight, backed up the important files, and completely wiped the HDD. Reinstalled the OS, and all the hours of updates, etc. It's now MUCH quicker

Maria/Hannah are now users, so they can't install the rubbish that caused it to die in the first place

You'll find it pretty impossible to do a true low level format on a current HDD, unless you happen to have one of those £200k fancy gadgets (in which case can I borrow it)

let's have a whip round..